Premier League Darts Preview & Results

ADRIAN LEWIS ruined Gary Anderson’s Scottish homecoming, silencing a 6,500 crowd at the SECC in Glasgow by coming from 3-0 down to take an 8-3 victory in their 888.com Premier League Darts contest.

The pair were meeting for the first time since Lewis hit a nine-dart finish in claiming the World Championship title in January, although the contest failed to hit the heights of that classic at Alexandra Palace.

Anderson began brightly to the delight of the 6,500 crowd by taking a 3-0 lead, although they were silenced as Lewis defied their boos to hit back and win eight successive legs in claiming his third victory of the season.

Holland’s Raymond van Barneveld had earlier delighted the Scottish crowd by hitting finishes of 161, 121 and 116 in an 8-4 win over Mark Webster.

“I always try to do my best wherever I go but the support in Scotland is amazing and it makes me pretty emotional,” said van Barneveld, who has now won four of his first six games this season.

“For the last two years I was afraid to lose, but let the best players in the world come to me because I’m not afraid any more. I’m not saying I’m the best in the world but I’m ready for them again.”

Phil Taylor, meanwhile, moved two points clear of Anderson and van Barneveld at the head of the table with an 8-5 win against Simon Whitlock.

Taylor had led 5-2 at one point before Whitlock hit back to trail only 6-5, but key missed doubles cost him as the reigning champion took his fifth straight win.

2009 Premier League Darts champion James Wade was the night’s other winner, picking up only his second victory of the season with an 8-6 win over Terry Jenkins, who missed one dart at double ten for a 140 finish to claim a draw in the deciding leg.

JAMES WADE 8-6 TERRY JENKINS
JAMES WADE claimed his second victory of the 888.com Premier League Darts season, edging out Terry Jenkins 8-6 at the SECC in Glasgow.

The 2009 Premier League champion had lost four of his opening five matches, but kick-started his bid for a second title with some strong finishing against Jenkins.

Wade led 6-2 at one stage and although the Ledbury ace fought back to force a deciding leg, he paid the price for one missed dart to claim a draw as the left-hander prevailed.

Jenkins began well by landing double top to take the opening leg on double top, only for ade to win the next three with some of his best darts of the season.

He took the second leg in 13 darts after a 177 left double 18, and broke Jenkins’ throw with a 180 and a 127 checkout for a 12-dart finish, before punishing a missed double top from Jenkins by hitting the same bed to lead 3-1.

Jenkins stemmed the tide with double 16 in the fifth, but Wade again punished a missed double top to win the sixth before taking out consecutive 100 finishes in leading 6-2.

Jenkins hit the third successive 100 checkout in leg nine, matching a double-double top from Wade, before taking out 81 for a 12-darter and 56 in the next to reduce the gap to one leg at 6-5.

Wade missed the bullseye for a showpiece 167 in the next before returning to hit the double ten which ensured him at least a point at 7-5, only for Jenkins to trade 180s with the left-hander before posting double four for a 13-dart leg to remain hopeful of grabbing a draw.

He gave himself a chance to snatch a point in the decider, but missed double ten for a 140 finish before Wade posted double top for a 14-dart leg in completing the win.

“I’ve practised hard since last week and my game will improve because I’m working hard at the game again,” said Wade. “I’ve been dire at times but I will be there or thereabouts at the end of the league season.

“There were small glimpses of what I can do in this performance but I worked hard to get the win and I’m hoping to kick on from this.”

The Dutchman has always been a popular figure in Scotland, and showed why with a fine display as he posted three ton-plus checkouts, five 180s and a 100.98 average.

Webster had shared the opening four legs, but never recovered from a treble body-blow as van Barneveld took out 121, 161 and 116 in successive legs in mid-game.

Van Barneveld hit two 180s in a sensational start to the game, eventually winning the opening leg on double eight and also taking the third in 13 darts, while finishes of 100 and 120 from Webster saw him share the first four legs.

The Dutchman took out back-to-back 12 darters in moving 4-2 up, firstly finishing 121 on double eight before landing a 161 finish which potentially earns him a £1,000 as the highest finish of the night and saw him break Webster for the first time.

Another ton-plus finish, this time on 116 for a third straight 12-dart leg, gave him a 5-2 lead, although he was denied a dart at a double in the next as Webster followed up his first 180 of the game with double nine.

Van Barneveld replied with a 180 of his own in taking a 6-3 lead, before Webster posted a superb 11-dart leg to keep alive his hopes.

Van Barneveld though, posted double 18 to move 7-4 up and then wrapped up victory with a 14-dart leg to delight the Scottish crowd with his fourth win of the campaign.

“I always try to do my best wherever I go but the support in Scotland is amazing and it makes me pretty emotional,” said van Barneveld. “Playing in front of crowds like this is why you want to be a darts player.

“It’s crazy, every time I come to Scotland it’s fantastic and I feel at home, these are the best crowds in darts. I didn’t want to let them down because of the support they gave me and I’m delighted to have won for them.”

He will return to Holland this weekend to compete in the RTL7 International Masters, and is enjoying his return to form following an impressive defeat of James Wade last week and a run to the final of a UK Open Qualifier on Sunday.

“I’m not afraid any more,” he said. “For the last two years I was afraid to lose, but let the best players in the world come to me because I’m not afraid any more.

“I’m not saying I’m the best in the world but I’m ready for them again. For the last two weeks I’ve been fine and I know what I can do again.

“I wasn’t happy to play the floor tournaments but last weekend in Wigan I did and it really helped me. I played a fantastic game against Michael Barnard where I had a 123 average, and I also missed a nine-darter on double 12 in the final, and it’s given me so much confidence.”

PHIL TAYLOR 8-5 SIMON WHITLOCK
PHIL TAYLOR held off Simon Whitlock’s fightback to claim his fifth successive 888.com Premier League Darts victory with an 8-5 defeat of the Australian at Glasgow’s SECC on Thursday.

Taylor, who had defeated Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson in the previous two weeks, maintained his run of form with a 103 average in seeing off Whitlock.

The Australian hit back from 5-2 down to trail 6-5, but eventually paid for missed doubles as Taylor maintained his push to retain the £125,000 title.

Taylor hit a 180 in winning the opening leg in 12 darts, finishing 81 on the bull before Whitlock immediately broke back, courtesy of a 180 and double three, before finishing 100 to edge 2-1 up.

Both players hit 180s in the fourth leg, which Taylor took on double top to level before he stepped in after a missed double 18 from Whitlock to break again on double eight.

Taylor hit a 180 and a 70 finish to take leg six and lead 4-2, before a 13-dart leg secured a third break of throw and a three-leg cushion.

He also had one dart at double top to win the eighth, but a miss allowed Whitlock in to follow up an earlier 180 with double ten to win his third leg of the match.

The pair traded maximum scores of 180, from Whitlock, and 177 from Taylor in the ninth, but a miss from Whitlock saw Taylor move 6-3 up on double ten.

The 15-time World Champion, though, missed doubles in the next two legs as Whitlock hit back with finishes of double four and double eight in reducing the gap to 6-5.

Taylor, though, took out double 16 to win his seventh leg, and hit a 180 in a 14-dart leg as he secured the win.

“I’m happy to have got another win,” said Taylor. “I’m a bit disappointed with some of my finishing and I let Simon back in.

“Every time I let him in he kept finishing but it was okay and the performance could have been better.

“The main objective is to qualify for the play-offs but I’m loving this year’s Premier League and I think this is the best Premier League ever. Every week’s a tough battle and it will be the same against James Wade next week.

“If I can come through such a tough field and win this tournament again it would be one of the pinnacles of my career.”

ADRIAN LEWIS 8-3 GARY ANDERSON
ADRIAN LEWIS ruined Gary Anderson’s Scottish homecoming, silencing a 6,500 crowd at the SECC in Glasgow by coming from 3-0 down to take an 8-3 victory in their 888.com Premier League Darts contest.

The pair were meeting for the first time since Lewis hit a nine-dart finish in claiming the World Championship title in January, although the contest failed to hit the heights of that classic at Alexandra Palace.

Anderson began brightly to the delight of the 6,500 crowd by taking a 3-0 lead, although they were silenced as Lewis defied their boos to hit back and win eight successive legs in claiming his third victory of the season.

The Scot won the game’s opening leg on double ten following a nervy start, but then broke throw with a superb 11-dart leg, which featured a 180 and two 140 scores.

Anderson then finished 24 with an improvised double nine, double three combination to lead 3-0, before Lewis got himself off the mark with a 111 finish.

Anderson landed another maximum in the fifth, but Lewis took out 84 on the bull to reduce the gap and then landed his first 180 of the contest in levelling with a 13-dart finish.

He hit another maximum and double ten in moving in front for the first time as Anderson missed double top, and he suffered the same fate in the next two legs as Lewis twice landed double four in moving 6-3 up.

Double top gave the World Champion a 7-3 advantage, and he hit a third 180 before sealing victory in 13 darts on double 19.

“It is very disappointing because I wanted to come to Scotland and enjoy a great game with Gary, and the crowd seemed to put us both off during the match,” said Lewis.

“This is not how I wanted this game to be and hopefully the next time we play we can both be given the best of order and both be given a better chance of playing at the top of our game.”

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